Telegraph-key



(No Model.)

J. B. VAN DEUSEN.

TELEGRAPH KEY.

No. 433,835. Patented Aug. 5, 1890..

ATIOR/VEYS trunnions of the key.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN BARNER VAN D-EUSEN, OF SARATOGA, NEW YORK.

TELEGRAPH-KEY.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 433,835, dated August 5,1890.

Application filed May '7, 1890. Serial No. 350,958. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN BARNER VAN DEUSEN, of Saratoga, in the countyof Saratoga and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedTelegraph-Key, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the annexed drawings, forming a part thereof, in whichFigure 1 is a plan View of my improved telegraph-key. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation showing the circuit closed. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of thekey, showing the position of the parts while the key is in use, and Fig.4 is a transverse section taken on line as w in Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

The object of my invention is to provide means for automatically closinga telegraphcircuit as the operator releases the key and for opening thecircuit when the key is grasped by the hand.

My invention consists in the combination, with the anvil-contact andkey-lever, of a contact-spring arranged to automatically close thecircuit on the key-lever, and an auxiliary lever pivoted to thekey-leverfor pressing the contact-spring away from the keylever.

The key A is of well-known construction, being formed of the base-plateB, the standards O, the key-leverD, pivoted in the stand ards, and theleg a, passing through the baseplate B, insulated therefrom and providedwith the anvil-contact b for opposing the contact c of the key-lever D.Under the head of the leg a is placed a flat spring cl, which is curvedrearwardly and upwardly and slit at the end so as to form the arms 6 e,projecting upwardly at opposite sides of the keylever D, and the arm f,projecting rearwardly underneath the key-lever and normally makingcontact with the under surface of the said key-lever.

To the lever D is pivoted a forked lever E at a point a short distancein front of the The lever E extends forward and is curved to conformapproximately with the upper surface of the key-lever D. The key-knob Fis divided, the forward portion 9 being attached directly to the end ofthe key-lever in the usual way, the

rear portion h being secured to the forward end of the lever E, the twoparts taken together forming a complete knob of the usual shape. Eacharm of the forked part of the lever E is provided with a strip c' ofinsulating material. These insulating-strips rest upon the arms e e ofthe spring d.

When the key is not in use, the lever E is lifted by the spring d andthe said spring makes an electrical contact with the key-lever D, sothat the current passing to the key through the rear leg j flows outthrough the spring d and through the leg a. When the operator grasps theknob F of the key, the pressure of the index-finger upon the rearportion h of the knob carries the lever E downward into contact with thekey-lever D, thus pressing the spring d downward, carrying the arm f ofthe said spring out of contact with the key-lever D, thus breaking thecircuit. The edges of the knob F are grasped by the thumb and secondfinger in the usual way, and the key is operated in the same manner asan ordinary key, the circuit being opened and closed at the contacts I)c. When the operator releases the key, the spring cl again closes thecircuit on the key-lever D and at the same time forces upward the leverE, as shown in Fig. 2. It will thus be seen that whenever the key isreleased the circuit will be automatically closed, thereby preventingthe delays which frequently occur as the operator, through neglect orotherwise, fails to close the circuit of the ordinary key.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. In a telegraph-key, the combination, with theanvil-contact and the key-lever, of a spring attached to theanvil-contact and normally making contact With the key-lever D and afinger-lever pivoted to the key-lever and arranged for pressing thecontact-spring away from the key-lcver, substantially as specified.

2. In a telegraph-key, the combination, with the key-lever D, of thelever E, provided with the insulation 2' and pivotally connected-withthe key-lever, and the contact-spring d, connected with theanvil-contact and arranged trically with the anvil-contact and normallyt0 normally-form an electrical contact with pressing the key-lever D,substantially as 10 the key, substantially as specified. specified.

3. Inatelegraph-key, the combination, with I JOHN BARNER VAN DEUSEN 5 alever provided with the segmental knob F,

of the auxiliary lever E, furnished with the WVitnesses: insulation 2and carrying a part of the knob FRANCISCO J ACINTO DEL CORRAL, F, andthe contact-spring cl, connected elec- CHARLES MASON DAVISON.

